A landmark legal battle opened this week in London that could see millions of UK users of Apple and Samsung smartphones awarded a share of £480 million in damages.
Consumer rights group Which? has launched the claim on behalf of roughly 29 million people who purchased an Apple or Samsung phone between 1 October 2015 and 9 January 2024. The case accuses chipmaker Qualcomm of abusing its dominant market position by charging inflated licensing and chip-supply fees, which are alleged to have been passed on to consumers through higher phone prices.
The current phase of the trial, which began on 6 October and is expected to last about five weeks, will assess whether Qualcomm held substantial market power and whether it misused that dominance. If Which? succeeds in that first phase, a second stage will determine how much compensation should be paid and how it will be distributed with the total claim estimated at £480 million.
Which? estimates that if successful, individual consumers might receive around £17 per affected phone. Qualcomm, for its part, has rejected the claim, calling it “without basis.”
This case marks a significant test of consumer class actions in the UK technology sector, with potential ripples for how large tech firms price essential components and licence their patents.
